Carl's Jr. Franchise: Costs, Fees and Profit

Carl's Jr. is an American quick-service restaurant chain that specializes in burgers, fries and other classic fast-food items. The brand is part of CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. which also owns the Hardee's chain, allowing for a broad reach and shared promotional strategies across both brands.

Established in 1941 by Carl N. Karcher, Carl's Jr. has been a West Coast icon for over 75 years. With only $15 in savings and a $311 loan against their Plymouth car, Karcher and his wife, Margaret, started with a single hot dog cart in Los Angeles. This small business has since evolved into a popular quick-service franchise with more than 3,300 locations worldwide.

The brand has 1,065 locations across the U.S., primarily in the western part of the country.

Carl's Jr. is a fast-food franchise renowned for its burgers, such as the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, the Super Star hamburger, and the Beyond Famous Star with Cheese. Other fan favorites include hand-breaded chicken tenders, made-from-scratch biscuits, charbroiled chicken sandwiches, and hand-scooped ice cream shakes and malts.

The brand prefers multi-unit agreements with franchisees, but will consider one or two-unit agreements under certain circumstances. Franchisees also have co-branding options and can open a Green Burrito Dual Concept Restaurant, as well as locations inside a gas station or convenience store.

The brand does not make this information publicly available. Prospective owners can access this information through the brand’s most recent Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).

The total initial investment necessary to begin operation of a Carl's Jr. franchise ranges from $1,499,000 to $2,228,000.

The franchise fee required to begin operation of a Carl's Jr. franchise is $25,000 to $35,000, depending on the number of units in operation, which must be paid to the franchisor.

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